Pizza My Heart
by Genevieve Darcy Granger
Summary: Pietro Maximoff is delivering pizzas in the town of Marvel when he meets the most interesting girl in the world who captures his heart. Will he serve a deep dish of love or will he be rejected?
1. Chapter 1

'This is so lame,' thought Pietro sullenly to himself as he carefully reached up to pull the pizza boy cap further down on his silver-haired head. 'Why do the other boys get a car and I'm the one stuck with the stupid bike? I could run faster than this.' He wobbled precariously on the red bicycle and quickly put both hands back on the handlebars. The last thing he needed was to go back to the store because he crashed his bike and ruined all the pizzas.

Why was he doing this? Oh yeah, since he didn't get to graduate high school on time with everyone else and go to college on the track scholarship he had worked so hard on, he was stuck with this pizza job until his Dad decided he deserved to go to college. It wasn't his fault that he went to juvie. Well, technically it was – but his sticky fingers just can't help themselves. This was the only job available to him in this small college town because he basically robbed every other convenient store, gas station, arcade, fast food joint, and grocery from here to the highway. Only the new pizzeria was untouched by his thieving hands. Because of his track record around town though, he was banned from anything interesting and fun, so all there was left for him to do was work, work, work. It was a good thing he still lived in his mom's basement. He wouldn't be able to buy food otherwise.

He just had to go to juvie his senior year, too. He just had to not graduate with his twin sister Wanda, and instead he got to watch her go off to college last year while he languished in the state's prison for minors and finally his parent's prison for Pietro. At nineteen he was living at home with no prospects until they finally gave him his stupid graduation diploma. Now his dad – psh, Erik was never there – gave him a chance to prove himself by making a little money with this job and learning a little responsibility, too, while he's at it. What was it he said exactly? Oh yeah. "You like to run your mouth, and you like to run around town. Now you can get paid to do it."

Gee, thanks dad.

Well, it could be worse. It could be raining. No, it wasn't raining. The nightlife was actually beautiful though he wished he could experience this in a car. Catching a cold on the first day of the job would suck, and his legs were sure gonna be sore after this strenuous exercise biking all over town. One of his first stops was at the girl's dormitories in the town's local pride and joy – Xavier's Institute for Gifted Children. Well, that's the old name. Now it's just Stan Lee University, because the town of Marvel's inhabitants were a creative lot and because the big shot Stan Lee donated a lot of money to fix the place up. Not enough apparently, because a Mr. Fox and a Mr. Walt also chipped in, but their names weren't as important.

Huffing and puffing, he climbed off his bike when he got to the X-Women's Dorm. That was the easy part, now to find the room number 221. He climbed a flight of stairs and found he was on the right track. The only thing left to do was walk until he found it. God, this job was already so boring. And he was so hungry, too! He knew he should have eaten like his mom told him to before he left. Oh God, why did it have to be pizza? Why couldn't it be some nasty vegan tofu or something?

Eventually he found the room he was looking for and stopped in front of the door, double-checking the receipt to make sure he had it right. No foul-ups on the first day if he could help it. It was the right room. From behind the door he heard the thump of a bass and the muffled sound of lyrics to music. Not identifying the piece or the band, he shrugged. Whatever. He didn't really like that noise like he did his classic rock bands. Pietro knocked.

No answer.

He knocked again.

No answer.

He knocked again.

No answer.

He pounded his fist on the door continuously as loud as he could.

Pietro was just about to give up and leave and eat the damn pizza for himself when the door was suddenly jerked open letting out more sound, his hand still in the air. Surprised at how unceremoniously it was yanked open, he just held out the two pizza boxes to explain his presence. Holding his tongue was key here, or he'd say something awful and be fired as soon as he got back; and he couldn't live with Erik's rage and Magda's disappointment.

There in front of him stood a college-aged girl – a woman – with mussed up, dark hair tangled around her tanned face and gold-rimmed glasses over her amber-golden-flecked brown eyes. She wore nothing but a wrinkled, white buttoned-up shirt, from a man no doubt, and the kind of sated smile that came from being up to no good. Pietro didn't like the look of her, felt no attraction, but her look still shocked him nonetheless. "Thank God, you're here. I'm famished."

The customer took only one of the boxes, peaking at the contents, before making a face and shoving it back in his hands. While she ignored him in favor of the pizza, she mumbled under her breath, "Been wondering if your heart's still open and if so I wanna know what time it shuts. Simmer down and pucker up…" She took the other box and inspected it as well before she nodded her satisfaction. "Thanks," she squinted at his name tag, "Pie-tro."

"Pee-ah-tro."

"Pietro," she repeated the correct pronunciation back at him. "Darcy." Her smile was more like a smirk as she continued, "Well, I better get back to the bedroom. Gotta refuel, you know. For the next round. This could go all night." From behind her glasses she winked, and then sung the along with the rest of the song as she turned around to leave with her pizza, "Do I wanna know–"

Swiftly Pietro cut her off, "Um, excuse me, ma'am?" Boldly he stepped over the threshold and into her dorm. "What about your other pizza? And my pay?"

"Do I look like I have any money on me?" Darcy snarked as she turned around to face him again, a little irritated. "Don't answer that." She stopped his open mouth from swallowing his foot with her hand in the air. Apathetically she grabbed at her chest and searched the shirt's only pocket. It came up empty. "Look, that's my roommate's pizza. She can pay tonight cause I'm a little busy entertaining a very important guest here, so fuck off so I can fuck, too, kid." Without another word from her and without waiting for a reply from him, she turned the corner singing loudly to dismiss him, "Crawling back to you~" He heard a door slam and she was gone. The music only blared louder after her disappearance, but thankfully he didn't hear any sounds of her entertainment over the noise of the music.

In a state of shock at her blunt rudeness, he looked around at their tidy living room and small kitchenette before he decided to resume knocking on the door. Just as he raised his fist, the other bedroom door jerked open and out came the other roommate. As soon as he saw the movement, Pietro respectfully stepped out into the hall again out of sight, and waited there. Checking to see if his feet were on the right side of the threshold, when he looked up again he was unprepared for what he saw, even after seeing Darcy in such a state like that.

His breath caught in his throat. An angel stood before him. Her hair was blacker than the other girl's, and it stood out stark against her paler skin. The roommate's eyes were green and luminous, glowing from within with something so utterly precious that Pietro felt the same twitch in his fingers that he felt when he stood by the broken ATM. Compared to her roommate, she was dressed more appropriate in regular clothing, but somehow where she had less skin showing than the other girl she was more comely that way. She was dignified and womanly in her modesty, and Pietro felt words stick in his throat at talking to a pretty girl like her. Luckily, she broke the ice first.

"Oh," she looked surprised and more than a little embarrassed at him standing there in the hallway with the door to her dorm wide open. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here," She accepted the pizza from him without checking to see if it was correct first, "I had my headphones on listening to music and my roommate's music was so loud…" The pretty woman trailed off with an apologetic smile painted across her painted red lips. "Sorry." The pizza box was placed on a table where a twenty dollar bill, an Abraham Lincoln, and a couple of ones were innocuously lying. Trading out the pizza for the money, she offered it to him shyly just as the swell of the music died and the sound of a different man singing to a much different, more primal tune sounded into the room's silence instead.

Both Pietro and the lady blushed, awkwardly waited for the man's groaning to quiet again. He was still screaming when the next song started. "Oh my God, I am sooo sorry!" The dark-haired lady was talking again, looking aghast as she held her hands to her face to cover her heated cheeks. "Darcy has no shame. Wait," She looked back at her one pizza box and then turned her powerful eyes back to him. "Did she come out here to get her pizza? Or did her … bed partner … do it instead?"

"Ummm…" Pietro stuttered. That wasn't anything like him.

"It was Darcy wasn't it?" He nodded the affirmative. "God, I'm gonna kill her." Her green eyes flared, and Pietro whimpered at the thought of her rage pointed at him.

"Uh," swallowing around the rising lump in his throat, he shuffled his feet as he quickly asked her, "Can I have my money now?"

"What? Oh. Yes. Sorry." She handed him the money, and he accepted it. His fingertips barely brushed hers before they twitched in that funny way again and he felt a jolt as his heart leaped up and banged against the ribcage in his chest. "My name is Jane."

"I'm Pietro. The new delivery boy. This is my route." Oh God, he sounded so stupid to her.

"Nice to meet you, Pietro. We'll probably see each other again. Every Friday night like clockwork we order a pizza from this place since it opened. We're hooked."

He'll get to see her again? That's great. "That's great. I look forward to seeing you…Jane."

Jane blushed very prettily and it wasn't the red color of her embarrassment as it was before, but a more flattering shade of pink. "Bye, now." She closed the door behind his wave of goodbye, and Pietro had to stand there for a moment to catch his breath.

He would get to deliver pizzas to her every Friday night. He'd get to talk to her again. Oh man, this job was great!


	2. Chapter 2

The next Friday he was ready. It took some convincing, but he managed to hassle the manager into giving him the weekends and the college deliveries no matter what beforehand after he got back to the store Friday night. He passed it off on him having a bike and needing the money for college, and eventually the manager waved him off for being too annoying but granted his request nonetheless.

Last time Pietro had been a disaster with Jane. He didn't flirt with her a single time, and he didn't even compliment her or tell her a joke or use a pick-up line or anything. Pietro had froze, but that was not gonna happen again. This time he would be smooth like oil, sweet like honey, suave like… like… I dunno a greasy, used car salesman. By the end of the night she'd be eating her pizza out of the palm of his hand.

Unlike last time, he knew exactly where he was going and headed straight there, confidently parking his bike on the grass and grabbing their two pizzas. Pietro practically bounded up the stairs and skipped down the hall, and in his eagerness he passed their door and had gone as far as room 228 before he noticed his mistake. Backtracking quickly, he stood in front of the door as he did last time and fixed his silver hair and cocked the navy ball-cap on his head at an angle like a rascal kind of guy would. He smoothed his leather jacket, took a deep breath, and then just listened to the music a little bit. Just until his nerves were under control of course.

"I guess what I'm trying to say is I need the deep end

Keep imagining meeting, wished away entire lifetimes

Unfair we're not somewhere misbehaving for days

Great escape lost track of time and space

She's a silver lining climbing on my desire."

Well, enough of that. It's time to face the music. Bravely he knocked on the door a couple of times. Just to make sure that Jane heard him this time. God, he hoped it was going to be just Jane this time and no Darcy.

No such luck.

"Hey there," She began her inspection process again, "You're the same boy from last week right? Pietro?" Darcy looked up at him. This Friday night she was more respectfully dressed, but not by much. Whereas last week she wore the after-sex clothes, this week she wore the actual sex-clothes: meaning a robe and little else. He'll just have to imagine that there were pajamas underneath that blue robe and not some trashy red lingerie. Ugh. How could a girl where so little and yet do nothing to arouse him? Weird.

"So, uh, where's Jane?"

"In her room." Darcy hugged her pizza box close and called, "JANE! PIZZA!" Looking at the startled Pietro, she shook her head and gave him an odd look as though he were the one inappropriately dressed.

While waiting for Jane, he couldn't help but blurt out, "So is the guy your with this week the same as last week?" He grimaced when he finished, embarrassed at his nosey-ness. Honestly, he didn't want to know the answer. Pietro had no idea why he asked that.

"No." Darcy's eyes sparkled behind her glasses in amusement at his suffering. There was a noise from Jane's side of the dorm, and Darcy left before she could come out. Jane's door opened just as Darcy's closed. Then Jane appeared before Pietro again, in modest clothing like last week.

"Hi, Pietro." She accepted her pizza and gave him his money plus a nice tip. God, she was just as beautiful as last week if not more so. She put her friend to shame in a good pair of jeans then all Darcy could do in some lingerie.

All thoughts of being charming flew out of his head at the sight of her before him in person once again. When he opened his mouth he meant to say, "Hey, Jane. You look great. Wanna take that pizza to the quad with me for a late night picnic underneath the stars? They twinkle so bright and beautiful, but they have nothing on your eyes. I just wanna prove that, if you're interested." That was a way to ask a girl out to get to know her.

Instead, however, Pietro said this, "Your roommate has a new guy this week." He immediately wanted to swallow his tongue and melt into the floor until the Earth swallowed him up and spat him back out in China.

Jane looked shocked at his unexpected words. He was just as surprised as her. They both stared at each other wide-eyed until she blushed and blurted out, "Darcy's a slut!" She blushed harder once she realized what she said, though Pietro could only blink in response. Was he blushing, too? He couldn't really feel it. It was too hot in here anyway.

"Oh, oh my God. Oh, oh God. I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be mean like that. I don't slut-shame. I'm a feminist!" She vehemently reassured him before her emotions 360-ed. "Wait a minute. I love Darcy. She's my best friend. I don't have to explain her love life to you!"

"No wait!"

"She can sleep with whoever she wants!"

"I didn't say that she couldn't!"

"She's a strong, independent woman and her body is her own!"

"Please understand me, Jane!"

"She's a loving person!"

"Yeah, okay!"

"Goodbye!"

She slammed the door on him, and he was frozen in place once more before he leapt into action. His fists attacked the door – he would knock until his knuckles were bloody but she would answer first – and then the door was swung open again. "What!"

"I'm sorry." He waited for her to yell again, but she just glared at him with her glowing green eyes simmering with her quiet anger. "I didn't mean it like that. I don't care who she sleeps with. I was just, I don't know…"

"You were just what?" Her voice was less angry now, but no less firm.

"I dunno, just trying to make conversation with you."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

She said nothing. Jane just looked at him, surprised once again.

"Look, I'm sorry. I was just being stupid, okay? I'll go now."

"No, wait. It's okay. Hey, I'll see you again next week right?"

"…Yeaaaah."

"Good. So now you can think of something else to talk about until then okay?"

"…Yeah."

"Alright. Well, goodnight."

"Goodnight."

He couldn't believe it. She was so freaking nice! Jane gave him another chance! Pietro had another shot! Okay, okay. So he can't screw up next week!


	3. Chapter 3

Pietro had thought all week about what to talk about with Jane. It was Friday night and he was peddling to her dorm, and he still had nothing worthwhile to talk about. He was much more anxious this week than the last, due to his slip of the tongue blundering up the whole night. Thank God she didn't call his manager. If his mother Magda ever found out what he said, she'd give him a lecture on women's rights for days.

Before he knew it he was at her room, 221, and his hand was poised to knock. Well, he was a few minutes early. The pizza was still warm. And he still needed a conversation topic for tonight. Madly, he thought hard about something, anything. While he stood there dumbly, he absentmindedly listened to the music again.

"There's no need to show me round baby, I feel like I've been in here before

I've been wondering whether later when you tell everybody to go,

Will you pour me one for the road?"

That's it! Inspiration lightning forked through him like Benjamin Franklin with that kite and key in a thunderstorm. Pietro could talk to her about music. Music is always a safe topic right? Can't go wrong with that. It's not offensive in any way, shape, or form.

More sure of himself now, he shaped the conversation starter in his head in many ways as he knocked on the door and waited for an answer. Crossing his fingers, he hoped to avoid another awkward confrontation with Darcy, and once again fate let him down. Oh, Lady Luck, you are a fickle bitch.

Darcy was dressed in a hooker dress. For real, she looked like a stripper blueberry in ridiculously black strappy sandals and ten tons of makeup. Absently, Pietro wondered if she would pop and burst open before or after she consumed her pizza. "What band is this?" he asked quickly, to take his mind off the disturbing mental image of her erupting into purple juice he created in his head.

The blueberry looked up at him, and as her own mystic eyes penetrated his dark ones it was like she knew what he was thinking and was deeply unamused. "Arctic Monkeys. Haven't you heard of them before?"

Pietro was abashed. "Only from this room."

"Your loss then." Darcy raised an eyebrow at him, and Pietro suspected she was not entirely referring to the band as she stalked back to her room, pizza box clutched between her grossly long fingernails that looked like as unnatural as a French manicure. Crazy, old, cat lady fingernails. That's just poor hygiene.

When her door slammed shut loudly and she cranked the music up higher, he heard a disturbance from Jane's side of the dorm before he heard her own door open and slam shut again. She walked up to him, money in hand, and they swapped what they were both holding. "Hey there, Pietro. How are you?"

"Good. You?" he automatically responded.

"Good."

"Good." he numbly repeated. There was silence before he remembered his conversation starter. "So your roommate likes the Arctic Monkeys, yeah?"

He was confused when he saw the red blush of embarrassment bloom across Jane's cheeks tonight. "Yeah, I don't really like them. But when we first started rooming together she told me that she would have guys over all the time so things might get loud. At first I just avoided the dorm, but I can't get any work done that way and I live her, too. Like I'm paying for this. So we talked and worked it out. She would play loud music to cover up the noises, and it would be like I wouldn't even know that they were there and that they were doing that. But, you know, I do. At least I don't hear it. Yeah. She plays Arctic Monkeys though, specifically as code, because she likes to play music anyway. So if it's like Maroon 5 or something then I know it's cool to try and interact with her." As she continued to talk she flushed a brighter cherry-tomato red. If she busted with embarrassment, she'd be ketchup.

Pietro wanted to kick himself for talking about another thing that related to her roommate's active sex life. "I'm sorry. Um, but both of those bands really suck. I don't like any of their songs."

Jane looked less embarrassed now, her cheeks rapidly cooling and fading as they distanced themselves from thoughts of naked Darcy. "So what bands do you like?" She sounded interested in his answer.

"I love Pink Floyd." God, he wished he could show her his vintage band shirts, but he's in his work clothes. Dang. "Rock bands are awesome. You know Alice Cooper kind of stuff, too. And then just music that sounds good. Like Jim Croce is an obscure older artist but he is awesome." He leaned against the doorframe, and Darcy's music swelled much louder. "Uh…"

Jane walked out into the hallway with him and closed the door to her dorm. Together they both leaned against the wall. "Jim Croce? I'll have to look him up. But I know Alice Cooper, and who doesn't know Pink Floyd? Yeah, they're great. But I'm a Beatles kind of fan, myself. Love them British boys. Fall Out Boy, Wonder Years, The Story So Far, Citizen, Brand New, Twenty One Pilots – it goes on endlessly."

Pietro nodded, intently listening and committing these bands to memory so he could look them up later to talk to her about next Friday. He had just opened his mouth to continue the conversation, when he heard something go bump in the night and actually felt the vibrations on his shoulder that leaned against the wall. "What is that?"

She looked just as confused at him, and together they both stood up looking around. Simultaneously, they realized that the wall they had been leaning against enclosed Darcy's bedroom. With horrified looks on their face, they eyed the wall warily.

THUMP.

THUMP.

THUMP.

THUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMPTHUMP-

"OH MY GOD!" Jane and Pietro yelled together. Jane ducked back inside her dorm with her pizza, futilely trying to cover her ears as she repeated her mantra of "Ew ew ew ew ew!" Pietro dropped his cash in his eagerness to get away and had to drop on his hands and knees to pick it all up. He ran for the exit, but had to stop and go back for his cap, face green with disgust, and then he took off like a rabbit from the gate. He was gone gone gone.


	4. Chapter 4

The next Friday Pietro came prepared with not only the pizza but with knowledge about the bands she had listed off. When he got to her door he started his routine of preparing to see her. First, fix the hair (chicks dig the long, silver hair). Next, straighten out the jacket (you can't look sloppy in front of a girl). The last step was already taken care of at home. He had practically drowned himself in Axe spray to get the stink of the grease from pizza out of his clothes. His hat was cocked on his head, and he had her order ready. The only thing to do now was get in the zone and listen to Darcy's shitty music by the Arctic Monkeys. The timing was perfect because it was the beginning of a song.

"Arabella's got some interstellagator skin boots

And a helter skelter around her little finger and I ride it endlessly

She's got a Barbarella silver swimsuit

And when she needs a shelter from reality she takes a dip in my daydreams."

Hm. This is one song isn't that bad actually. Well, he can't let it get too deep in his head. He has to remember Wonder Years and Twenty One Pilots and Brand New. If he were to get distracted, he'd screw up again.

This time, however, he didn't screw up. Everything went as it should normally. He knocked, Darcy answered. She took the pizza and left. Jane came and paid and took her pizza. Pietro talked about her bands with her. It was a good time, and Darcy's sex noises didn't interrupt. Though, her music did get loud.

"Arabella's got a 70s head

But she's a modern lover

It's an exploration, She's made of outer space

And her lips are like the galaxy's edge

And a kiss the color of a constellation falling into place."

They had both stopped talking now, standing in the doorway of her dorm, listening to the song. "She plays this one a lot," Jane explained as she mumbled along with the chorus. She looked down shyly.

"I thought you didn't like this band or their songs?"

"Well, generally no. But I have to listen to them all the time so it gets stuck in your head. Like _Let It Go_."

"Ew. Don't bring _Frozen_ up. My little sister Maggie – she's a lot younger than me – loves that movie and it drives me nuts."

"I like Elsa and how she has her – just herself. She really comes into herself, you know? Also she's fun to draw. Love those ice powers. There's this one kid I know in my art class, his name is Bobby, oh God he loves _Frozen_. He likes snow in general. He's fun to hang out with during winter break. One time he made an ice sculpture as one of his art projects. When it melted it made another sculpture underneath. It was very creative."

"Wait a second. Did you say you draw? Art class?"

"Oh, yeah. I guess I did say that. Heh. Yeah…"

"That sounds cool."

Jane just smiled awkwardly in response, looking somewhat pleased with herself. Her arms hugged herself, her pizza resting pretty on the coffee table.

"(That's magic) in a cheetah print coat

(Just a slip) underneath it I hope

(Asking if) I can have one of those

(Organic) cigarettes that she smokes

(Wraps her lips) round he Mexican coke

(Makes you wish) that were the bottle

(Takes a sip) of your soul and it sounds like …"

Pietro didn't know what else to say, so he said goodbye, pleased that this conversation went well for once and lasted longer than five minutes. She flutteringly waved her hand. The door closed with a quiet click, muffling the music. The song had ended by the time he was out of earshot. Leaving this time felt so sad. He didn't want to go.


	5. Chapter 5

Friday arrived slowly in Pietro's anticipation for it to come. He was hooked to these visits with Jane the pretty girl. Jane the music enthusiast. Jane the artist. All his other deliveries were pretty standard and very boring. Some people tipped well, and some people didn't tip at all – Jane always tipped more than was polite. A lot of times there were dogs that barked at him. Most people were just eager to take the pizza and slam the door shut. A few rude people turned off their outside lights before he could even get to his bike. Teenage girls were pretty flirty. He wasn't interested, though. None of the girls were as beautiful as Jane.

With an excited bounce in his step, he stopped in front of Jane's door and knocked, knocked, knocked. The Arctic Monkeys were singing how they wanted it all when Darcy finally opened the door. This time she was more inappropriately dressed than ever. Hell, she wasn't even dressed at all. A towel was all that stood between Pietro and full frontal nudity so his eyes glued themselves to the ceiling. She was dripping wet all over the carpet, but she didn't seem to care about that anymore than she did about being in a towel in front of him.

"Hey, Pietro." Darcy greeted him as she checked her pizza box. By now he had developed a habit of her box being on top, that way he didn't have to interact with her for too long. It wasn't that he didn't like her. It was just that their interactions were so deeply uncomfortable, and he had the distinct impression that she could see right through him about his intentions with Jane. "Ugh, you stink more than usual." Her amber-orange golden brown weird piercing eyes caught his unwillingly. "Too much Axe, man."

"What, are you gonna invite me in your shower?" Pietro snarked against his will. God, that's probably just what she wanted him to say. He grimaced before she could even reply.

"Hell no, you little shit. I've got a professor in there." Pietro looked at her like she was nuts. "He's not my professor." Pietro relaxed marginally. "The one from last week was, though." Pietro stiffened again. "Well, he used to be when I had to get in my core classes. But I wasn't fucking him back then, so I passed his class fairly. I'm in school for psychology. Last week's professor taught ethics. This one teaches genetics."

Darcy flicked her wet hair at him as she left. Oddly enough, she took the pizza box with her to her bedroom and most likely to her bathroom, too. Pietro just shook his head. But their weird little conversation reminded him of something he had wanted to ask Jane around Monday morning. He had forgotten that question until just now.

When Jane appeared, they did business as usual. Then Pietro couldn't hold his question in any longer and he had to ask her, "So what are you in college for? A degree in astronomy or something?" He had a pick-up line attached to that, but he couldn't quite get it out as smoothly as he wanted. "Cause you're a star."

"Like Ringo?" Jane quipped and then laughed, "Astronomy doesn't pay the bills, Pietro. Oh, well. I guess I shouldn't say that. I'm an artist. But it's like I wanna do the art in video games. Graphics and stuff. But I also paint."

"You're a techie? You gonna work for Achievement Hunter or Microsoft? Maybe you can be the one to design a female assassin in AC."

Jane laughed and he loved the sound. He liked the way her green eyes sparkled like emeralds, her plump lips red and curved into a smile. She was so lovely and entrancing like this, tossing back her full head of black hair over her shoulder. It was picture perfect, and suddenly he wished he was an artist so he could capture her in this moment just so she could see herself like this. Absolutely wonderful. Breathtaking.

"She's a certified mind blower, knowing full well that I don't

May suggest there's somewhere from which you might know her

Just to get the ball to roll

Drunken monologues, confused because

It's not like I'm falling in love I just want you to do me no good

And you look like you could."

"So what are you in school for? Do you go here, too? I haven't seen you before this, but it's a big campus. Also different schools and majors and whatnot." Jane blushed again, her hand delicately poised in front of her mouth. Once again her pizza box was sitting on the coffee table, going cold from being ignored.

"Oh, um." Pietro wondered how he should phrase this. "I am working to make some money so I can pay for college." Best not to tell her about juvenile hall.

She tilted her head, slightly confused, her lips pulling down into a frown as she tried to put the pieces of the puzzle together in her head. Even the wrinkle between her eyebrows looked cute. "How old are you? I thought you were like twenty-three or somewhere around there."

Twenty-three? Where did she get that from? Take it as a compliment, Pietro. "Uh, I'm like nineteen." Oh, God. How old was she?

"I'm twenty-one!"

Oh, boy. An older woman. There's no way she'd be interested in him now. "Well, um. Your roommate is with a professor."

"Darcy? I'm not surprised. She loves older men. But she's twenty-five and already has like three majors."

"Oh. Well. That's cool."

"Yeah it is. Well. Goodnight, Pietro!"

"Goodnight, Jane."

Oh my God, she's twenty-one.


	6. Chapter 6

Another Friday, another night with Jane. Like clockwork Pietro arrived right on time at 7 o'clock, the pizza still hot in its box. He knocked three times, listening to the slower music.

"Love buckles under the strain of those wild nights

Run but you cannot hide

Mad sounds in your ears, they make you get up and dance."

Darcy answered the door even slower than normal. Compared to the last couple of times she didn't look like she had been in the middle of foreplay or fucking. She was wearing relatively normal clothes, except since it was Darcy they were slutty. Her gold skirt was too short, and her red top too low cut. She wasn't just showing cleavage, she was hanging out. Does this girl have no clothes that fit properly? "Up here, jackass."

Pietro jerked his eyes to her face, but she wasn't even looking at him. She was examining her pizza of course. "How's the professor?" Pietro's tone was irritated. He hadn't been looking. Well, he had, but not really in admiration.

Her answer was short. "Back in his wheelchair."

He was confused. Very. "Ummm…"

"Sexual intercourse is not always for the man's pleasure of ejaculation, and a penis is not the only thing that can bring a woman pleasure. I guess the same could be said for the Professor. Sexual intercourse isn't the only thing that can bring a man pleasure." Darcy didn't even sound embarrassed. Her tone was patient if somewhat condescending. She always sounded condescending.

Still he was confused. "Uh, okay. So who do you got in there this week?" Is she a nymphomaniac?

"Hopefully my boyfriend, if I can keep him. His name is Tony. Majoring in business. He's excellent in all science classes, engineering, mathematics, and robotics. But he needs a tutor in French, and since Jane declined I took him up on the offer. He's paying me to tell him how to say 'Bonjour. Je m'appelle' while I slowly seduce him into taking off his pants. It's a win-win." Darcy looked up at him now, and she was smirking so evilly that he knew she only told him all this so she could get her kicks out of seeing him squirm uncomfortably before her.

"Oh my God, Darcy. He doesn't need to know that. Why don't you go gardez Tony heureux et lui apprendre quelques petites choses au lieu de perdre son temps et son argent." Jane appeared out of nowhere, and standing next to Darcy it was like the sun outshining the moon. Jane's black skirt was knee length with ruffles, and her green tank top had a silver anchor on the front. Not too dressy, but definitely cute. God, he sounded like a fashion designer. Anyways, it wasn't even apples to apples when comparing the two girls; it was diamond to rock.

"Seduction takes time, Jane." Darcy smiled, and it was much nicer when directed at Jane versus the ones she gifts Pietro with. He watched the way Darcy looked at Jane, and wondered if when he gazed at Jane he had a similar look of devotion on his face. "Il est pas un dechet de son temps ou de son argent si il arrive a voir, meme de moi nue dans le processus. But I will fuck him and more. I like Tony a lot, Jane."

Jane looked at Darcy a little sadly, but the other girl didn't seem to notice. "Just be careful, Darcy." Darcy nodded, and then took her pizza and left.

Jane came up to Pietro, talking to him in urgent tones softly, "I'm sorry about that. She's not ashamed of anything. Between you and me though, I'm worried for her. Tony is a playboy. He's been around."

Cue Pietro sticking his foot in his mouth. "Are you worried about her getting a disease?" Way to go.

A beat, and then Jane looked at him funny. "Tony is rich. Darcy has money. They can afford to get rid of STDs."

"So is he gonna get her pregnant?" Wow, he's choking on his sneakers' laces by now.

"Pietro!" Jane admonished him with a smile she tried to hide. "I mean he's a heartbreaker. He never stays with a girl for long."

"Doesn't Darcy have a new man in her bed or shower like every Friday night?" He's practically swallowed his shoes.

"Those are just sport to her, and they were never meant to be serious. Darcy can have long term relationships, too. One of them lasted for five months, and when it ended it was bad. Like explosive. Lots of tears. I was there to pick up the pieces." Jane shook her head and shuddered slightly, "Seeing her get hurt like that, I don't want it to ever happen again. It also makes me wonder how she can put herself out there like that. If someone were to hurt me like that I don't know what I'd do."

"I…" Pietro regurgitated his shoes and feet. "I don't think anyone could hurt you, Jane."

She looked up at him. "That's sweet of you, Pietro." Her look was unreadable.

Feeling the need to change the subject, Pietro moved on to another topic. "So you know French?"

"Oui." Her smile was impishly delightful in her teasing.

"I took Spanish in high school for two years. I listened to tapes and everything, but I just couldn't get into it. I also took French for two years. Never got to finish. I wasn't in class that much." Pietro skipped and played hooky a lot those two years. That is until juvie.

"Oh, well I know French because of my ancestry. I'm French Canadian, and grew up in the Louisiana bayou for a while with the Cajuns. I've always been surrounded by the language. But I would love to go France, just to see how the French is different there and learn how bad my accent really is."

"Oh wow. That's cool. Traveling sounds like quite a trip." She laughed at his joke, and inwardly he cheered at his success with her. "I'm not quite so interesting. I mean my mom claims she has gypsy blood, but I'm not sure. She works at an old timey 50s diner in town as a waitress. Her coffee is the best. My dad emigrated here from Germany, though. He's Jewish, but I never really got into that. My twin sister Wanda did. She practices Hanukah and no pork and everything."

Jane nodded along as he spoke, her face thoughtful when she listened. Pietro imagined that his face probably looked enraptured whenever he heard her voice. "Wait, you have a twin sister? Wanda? As in Wanda Maximoff?"

Oh no. "Yeah, that's her. I'm Pietro Maximoff, her twin brother." He got ready to be forever thrusted into his sister's shadow once again, just as the case was with their dad.

"Oh my God, I know her! Her dorm room isn't that far away. She's a sophomore who bunks with your half-sister Lorna right? Green hair? They are really nice. I should talk to them about you now." Her beautiful, green eyes twinkled at him, star-like with mischief, and Pietro felt his stomach drop forebodingly even though he enjoyed the sparkle of her hypnotic eyes.

"Yeah, I know Wanda is taking an art class. She's into fashion and stuff. Wanda likes history and science and English, too. But not math. Uh, actually I think she's into psychology like Darcy. That can't be good."

"Hahaha, no you're right. Well, I'll have to trade so drawing tips with her sometime. Maybe even go shopping. What about Lorna?"

"Lorna Dane is a daddy's girl." He couldn't help himself from admitting that to her a little bitterly, "Apple of Erik's eye. She's a lot like him. Into metal-working and smithing and electronics and mechanics and science. Like Wanda, she can be a bit of a fashionista. But she's a freshman this year."

"Wow. Sounds like a Stark girl. Darcy better watch out." Jane glanced over her shoulder before turning back to Pietro. "We should plan a girl's night with them! Me, Darcy, Wanda, and Lorna – it should be fun." She looked so happy that Pietro couldn't even beg her not to do this.

"That'll be – that'll be just … great. You guys have fun with that."

"We will. I'll try and plan it on a Friday so you can bring up pizza. How's that sound, getting a tip from your sisters?"

"Just fine with me as long as they tip 15%." He was angry under the numbness.

"Great! See you next Friday then."

"See you."

Oh God, what has he gotten himself into? Nothing good can come from this. His good reputation with Jane will be ruined in a matter of minutes with Wanda – sheer seconds with Lorna.

Kiss it all goodbye now. This is the end.


	7. Chapter 7

Since he dreaded the next Friday it arrived quickly. Pietro hadn't bothered to contact either one of his sisters. He hasn't talked to them since college started for them, he figured it be suspicious to start trying to text or call them now. When he slowly approached Jane's dorm door, he felt like he were marching to his death.

"I'm not sure if I should show you what I've found

Has it gone for good?

Or is it coming back around?

Isn't it hard to make up your mind?

When you're losing and your fuse is fireside."

On the border of getting sick, he was only reassured when he heard the sound of the Arctic Monkeys on the other side of the door. Darcy can't have sex with someone at a sleepover, can she? They must not be doing it tonight. The sleepover that is. Besides, he had their regular order. The only way to know for sure would be to knock.

For a long time there was no answer. Pietro began to worry again. Well this wouldn't be the first time he'd have to knock again and knock louder. So he did.

When the door jerked open it wasn't Darcy. It wasn't even Jane. It was a man. He looked dapper if somewhat sleep-deprived and disheveled. His facial hair was a goatee, his hair dark and spiked up with gel; and he wore sweat pants and a black tank top – the kind guys worked out in to show off their muscles. It wasn't really doing anything for him since he was small. The only thing built on him were his biceps – just enough to impress a girl without having a rigorous workout program. "You must be Tony." Pietro stated. Is this really Darcy's type? Maybe it's only because he's rich.

"Yes. Genius, billionaire, playboy, philanthropist. You must be the pizza boy, judging by your hat and jacket and pizza boxes. May I?" Without waiting for an answer, Tony took both boxes from him and set them down on the coffee table. "Thanks. Well, I better skedaddle so if you could just get out of the way that would be super duper–"

"Tony?" Darcy came out of her bedroom wrapped in white sheets that stank and trailed on the floor behind her. She looked like she as on a quest, not like she was naked and sexed-up underneath.

"Darcy!" Tony did not approach her, though; his guilty start gave him away.

"What are you doing?" She squinted at him, and Pietro realized that this is the first time he has seen her without her golden glasses. Still, she looked like she knew exactly what he was doing, but she didn't want to believe it.

Tony's brown eyes darted over to where Pietro stood awkward and uncomfortable in the middle of this. "Let's talk about this in your room." He guided her by the elbow back in her room, and the track changed from an Arctic Monkey song to one Pietro recognized from the radio.

Suddenly Jane appeared at his side with the money. She was staring fixatedly at her roommate's door, concern painted boldly across her face. "How long were you there?" Pietro asked as he accepted the money.

"Long enough to see this." Jane still wasn't looking at him. "She's playing Sam Smith."

"Stay with Me." Pietro filled in the name. "Is that a bad thing? Better than Arctic Monkeys, right? They aren't having sex now."

Jane looked at him sidelong, "Well, Darcy picks her songs for a reason. That song means something. This isn't going to end well. I knew this would happen."

Pietro didn't know what to say or what to do. He figured changing the subject here and trying to distract her wouldn't be helpful. "Um…"

"You should just go." The words themselves were harsh to Pietro's smitten heart, but the apologetic look on Jane's face soothed the pain. All he could do was nod and close the door behind him as quietly as he could.


	8. Chapter 8

The next Friday Pietro knew for sure that the sleepover was happening. Not only did he have a clue with four pizza boxes instead of two, but they also order breadsticks and cheesy bread and a chocolate dessert. Also, both Wanda and Lorna texted him about the sleepover.

When he approached Jane's dorm, he heard neither Arctic Monkeys nor Sam Smith. It was classic Taylor Swift singing about bad blood and shaking it off and blank spaces and style. Definitely a girls' night. Bravely he took a deep breath, and then knocked on the door. A hush had fallen before it sounded like a mad scramble on the other side of the door. Pietro braced himself.

"PIETRO!" Wanda yanked open the door and hugged him around the neck.

"PIZZA!" Lorna ducked underneath the reunited twins and snuck food out of Pietro's arms, freeing his hands up to hug Wanda back.

"I've missed you," Pietro admitted, squeezing his twin sister tight around the middle. All of a sudden it just hit him, how lonely he had been without her being home. Sure they fought like cats and dogs, but they stood united against everyone else. She was fun to tease, and gave as good as she got as far as their epic and never-ending prank war went. He couldn't pull that kind of stuff on Maggie; she was too young and tender-hearted. Maggie cried and was spoiled by Magda and always got her way. It was weird being the only teenager in the house; it meant a lot more chores, too, another reason why he missed Wanda.

Over Wanda's shoulder, Pietro saw Darcy and Jane watching the scene. Darcy looked slightly smug, if a little listless. Jane, however, in comparison, looked on happily without the slightest hint of any negative emotions. He smiled at her, and she smiled back wider.

Breaking off from their hug, Wanda punched his arm hard, thus ruining the perfectly good sibling moment. "If that's true that you miss me, you'd come see me and call me or text me or whatever. Mom does. Dad does."

"You live in a dorm in the same town we live in! Why can't you come home?"

"Freshmen are required to live on campus, which is why I'm bunking with Lorna." Lorna looked up from the slice of pepperoni pizza that dripped from her lips in oozing cheese and greasy tomato sauce. "I also enjoyed the independence of living her from last year. Also I'm busy! 4.0 to keep this scholarship, Pietro! 4.0!"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, little sister!" He ruffled her long, wavy brunette hair. Secretly, he envied her freedom. He couldn't blame her for not coming back home. Their house was a prison – a pretty cage – but no less a prison for their teenage spirits that have just begun to taste freedom and are already addicted to its sweet toxicity.

"Lorna and Maggie are the little sisters! I'm older than you!"

"But you're shorter!"

"Pietro–"

"Well, as touching and entertaining this moment is, why don't you come inside?" Darcy twirled her breadstick from where she lounged on a couch. Looking at her, Pietro remembered last Friday's incident, and he wondered what happened. Judging by her slightly unkempt appearance with red rimmed eyes, smudged glasses, dark circles, and hair that shine with a slight layer of grease – it ended in a break up. Ah, that explains the Taylor Swift. Ouch.

Wanda tugged her twin brother in the room, and he was pushed down to sit on the couch, jammed between Lorna and Wanda. Jane sat on what little space Darcy left for her on the opposite couch, neatly chewing her pizza in small bites. When she caught Pietro's eye, she smiled with her mouth closed. Surrounded by girls – only one of which he was attracted to as the others were either siblings or just no – Pietro wondered what cruel deity was torturing him for wishing of a similar scenario in his younger days – except with the girls of Playboy.

"So…" Lorna tossed her tangled mane of dyed green hair the color of limes, and bumped her shoulder against Pietro's a couple of times. "What do you want to know about our brother, dear, here?" Her smile was wickedly evil.

Pietro frowned at her. She was family – half family. Just like Maggie. The only difference is, instead of her mother raising her, Erik did. Erik abandoned his son and daughter and mother of his children to raise her instead. Lorna never even took the Maximoff name; she was a Dane in name only and a Maximoff in blood. Of course, he knew none of this was Lorna's fault really. Still, a small part of him harbored resentment towards her. Wanda got along with her just fine. He, on the other hand, did not. Their kind of fighting was much more real than the kind he had with his twin sister. It wasn't his entire fault, though. She could be really freaking annoying.

"Of course we want to see the baby buns in his embarrassing naked baby pictures." Darcy sat up straighter, and grabbed her drink. Bringing it to her lips for a hardy sip, she cradled the glass to her chin. Pietro eyed the other girls' drinks, noticed they were canned sodas, and briefly wondered what the hell she was drinking. Her glazed eyes gave it away – spiked drink. This was not gonna be a good night.

"Sorry, we forgot to bring the baby pictures, but we could tell you plenty of stories."

"Good enough for me."

Jane's look was sympathetic from across the way, but she looked too shy to speak up and put a stop to this.

Pietro only shrugged at her, understanding her dilemma. Let Darcy have her fun and take her mind off of Tony this way. Bring it on.

Story after story was fondly remembered and dragged up. Each one was recounted more outrageously than the last, getting more and more exaggerated and unbelievable. At first it was the trivia that he had to have one of those child leashes whenever they went out in public. Then it was how he put tacks on his teacher's chair during class in fifth grade (they never caught him, but Wanda knew). In kindergarten he cut a pigtail of hair off the girl who sat in front of him because she wouldn't talk to him in class. There were the times he brought frogs and salamanders and rabbits and lizards and rats to class, all of them caught in the wild outside. He forced a bully to eat worms and dirt for teasing and calling Wanda weird, and that brought up the time someone tripped him in a footrace on field day so Wanda scared the boy so bad that he peed his pants. Pietro still had no idea how exactly she did it. Those were all Wanda's stories.

Lorna's stories centered around their middle school days because that is when Erik moved back to town with her in tow. Naturally, since she was only a two pregnancies and a couple of months younger than them, she went to the same school but just barely a year behind. Now she told of Pietro's darkest days. She recalled when he was a bully; picking kids pockets for lunch money on the sly without ever having to raise his fists. He used the money to go to the arcade, and then he hustled kids into playing games with him. That got him kicked out multiple times. His next haunting ground was the playground where the elementary kids played. He watched out for Maggie, played with her when no one else would, and when the teachers caught him defending his little sister from bullies they sent him home with a note claiming he was truant. It was kinda true, but he was only missing out on his lunch period and study hall. After that, he disappeared to the skate park from then on.

As for his misdemeanors for when he was actually in class, he stole from lockers and teachers' desks. He took homework whenever he didn't do his – which was always since he preferred to play video games. He stole the answers to tests and shared them with those who would pay. Lorna was relentless for exposing his crimes, but Wanda claimed it all to be her fault since they didn't have classes together anymore.

Truthfully, Pietro knew it was him acting out as he discovered why his real Dad wasn't there in his early childhood. Also, their stepdad – Maggie's father – who raised them was getting a divorce from Magda because he abused her. That was thanks to Erik exposing that little truth to them. Anyway, it was all too much for him on top of the new hormones that came with being a teenager. Wanda was similar in that she retreated into a Goth phase and became that creepy girl. Pietro didn't want to be seen with her because he was the cool kid that got in trouble. Their new half-sister Lorna was a little pop princess tattler. Naturally, they ran in different circles and absolutely did not get along.

That all changed with high school, as Wanda revealed how they all transformed with their maturity. Pietro channeled his teenage angst into track team – he was the star player in both long distance and short distance running. Wanda blossomed into her body, and as the boys panted after her, she grew more confident and assertive. Their relationship as twins reconnected over protectiveness for each other, beating off the girls and boys respectively. Lorna also got hot, and a little more humbled. Wanda accepted her, Pietro just barely tolerated her. But for some reason, that wasn't their happy ending. Now the part Pietro was dreading the most came.

"Pietro became a regular little felon." Lorna chipperly revealed as she snatched the last slice of pepperoni. "He went to juvenile hall and everything. The family juvie." Pietro just stared down at his lap, now. He had been gauging Jane's reaction. She laughed at his elementary days, and she looked proud of how he stood up for his sisters. But with his more douchebag-ish days revealed, she looked at him funny and he couldn't really tell what she was thinking. Darcy constantly whispered in Jane's ear, but other than that she was deep in her cups and hiccupping.

"Yeah, I never understood that Pietro. I mean, you had it all just for being adored for winning first place and getting gold medals. Then you go and throw it all away over stealing stuff? Like really? You had scholarships!" Of course Wanda focused on that. Her grades are what won her her school grants, while Lorna had the technology and winning science fairs paving her way. Pietro's college fund was invested in track, and now it's all up in smoke. His mom works at a diner, his dad is paying what Lorna's and Wanda's scholarships couldn't cover. There was no way Erik could pay the entirety of Pietro's time at college, with or without a student loan.

He could only shrug, staring at his hands in his lap. "I dunno why I did it either. Guess I just like stealing stuff." With one hand he lifted his hat; the other hand pushed back his silver hair, scratching at his scalp as he searched for his reasons. "You know, when we were younger Wanda, I stole stuff then, too. Like when we went out with Mom to grocery stores and gas stations and stuff, I always stuffed candy in my pocket. Then I just moved on to big stuff the bigger I got. That's how it goes." Pietro removed the hat and dropped it on the table, his silver hair loose as he just played with the stringy silver locks. He really didn't want to see Jane's disappointment.

"What did you steal?"

He looked up at the sound of her voice. This was the first time she spoke tonight, excluding her wordless laughter. "What?" asked Pietro numbly.

"What did you steal?" She leaned forward in her seat, staring at him intently with those eyes so green and persistent. Jane wanted to know, and he couldn't help but tell her.

"Twinkies." Pietro informed her. "Honey buns. Cosmic brownies. Star crunchies. Nutter butters. Zebra cakes. Popsicles. Candy. Soda. Little Debbie Cakes. Records. Street lights." He, too, sat up more and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "Street signs. The neon lights hung up in store windows. Arcade machines. Ping pong table. TVs. Radios. Record player. Video games. Video game consoles. Leather jackets. Hats. Band merchandise. Cool T-shirts. Money."

"Why?" She cut him off. The only thing that separated them was the table between their respective couches, a length of empty space, and a thick layer of tension. The others had lapsed into silence, fading out of their peripheral view.

"I wanted the snacks. My metabolism is high. I run everywhere. I live life fast –"

"How?"

Pietro just smiled at her, and the grin ate shit. "I'm fast. They never see me. Can't even catch me on tape. It's like I'm never there. Like I'm a ghost. I leave no trace, no evidence."

Jane licked her lips, and Pietro felt something tighten and coil deep inside him. There was a glimmer in her eyes, a glimmer he felt inside him as well. Something was waking up, reminiscing about his thief days. Her fingers were spasming around each other as she rubbed her hands together. His fingers twitched and he felt the familiar itch to just reach out and take what he wanted, but it was also burning on his lips as well as his fingertips and palms.

Something was about to happen – something was happening right now. Wanda, Lorna, and Darcy weren't even there anymore. As far as Pietro was concerned the room was as empty as the pizza boxes and soda cans. All there was right here and right now was him and Jane, both breathing heavy. Black hair framed her face; all he could see was her face. This close to her face, he could see the slight splash of freckles from cheek to cheek over the delicate bridge of her nose. It was like stars in the night sky, but the stars were flesh colored and the sky was white instead of black. Her green eyes were as bright as ever, shining from within with some inner light as if from her very soul, and her pupils were black and dilated wide. Even her nose was cute, and her chin. How could such facial features be cute? Pietro didn't know. It was hard to think with his heart beating so fast and so loud in his ears. Oxygen. He needed oxygen. Breathing was enough no matter how fast and how deep he breathed. Pietro needed something else, but what?

Just then his ringtone went off, the Eagles singing about life in the fast lane making you lose your mind. Pietro scrambled for it, shoving his hat back on his head and jumping to his feet. Jane collapsed back against the couch, looking shocked. Darcy cuddled up to her, glaring at Pietro balefully with those all-knowing eyes. Whereas he felt Jane could see the good in him when they locked eyes, he felt like Darcy saw only the bad. Jane saw his achievements and praised them, and Darcy saw his crimes and punished him. Jane was forgiving, forgetting, and Darcy remembered and reminded him of all his sins. They were a lot like Wanda and Lorna that way, the little angel and devil on his shoulder. Except Jane was more like a princess in her tower, a college student in her dorm room. Darcy was the dragon he had to slay or conquer or something so he could get somewhere with Jane.

"Shouldn't you answer that?" Wanda asked, helpfully pulling him out of his thoughts. He was staring again, staring at Jane and lost in everything, caught up in the moment and trying to sort out his emotions.

Pietro pressed a button and heard his boss screaming. He listened with half an ear as he watch Wanda rouse Lorna from her sleep to drag her back to their own respective dorm on the first floor. Jane was cleaning up the mess, avoiding eye-contact. Darcy watched in a drunken stupor. Her eyes roved over Jane and then lazily trailed to him. She blinked slowly, first one eye and then the other. Her eyebrow climbed up her forehead. Pietro hung up.

"I've got to go. It was nice talking to you. See you later, sis. See you next Friday, Jane. Bye!" Pietro took off after that. He still had those other pizzas to deliver as his manager firmly reminded him.


	9. Chapter 9

What a day last Friday was, Pietro could not think of a single way it could go better or worse this time. Really he was still stuck trying to figure out what Jane thought of that whole situation. Did it go well? Did it go bad? Wanda and Lorna weren't exactly helpful in their follow-up texts the next day. Mostly, they asked if he liked Jane and when he denied it they told him that he does. "Well, thanks for telling me what I already know."

So now it's Friday again. It's pizza time. Walking up the hallway, he listened to the music for his cue on how tonight was gonna go down. It was the Arctic Monkeys, so that had to be a good sign for Darcy. Maybe that meant Jane was happier now, too, since her friend seems to have moved on or reconciled or whatever.

"Somewhere darker

Talking the same shite

I need a partner (hey)

Well are you out tonight?"

Pietro was just approaching the door, just taking in the music, when the door was thrown open and someone was thrown out. The music blared out louder now, but not as loud as Darcy, "YOU GET THE FUCK OUTTA THIS DORMITORY BUILDING RIGHT THE FUCK NOW!"

The naked man on the floor clutched his clothes to his private parts in an attempt to regain his dignity. That was kind of hard to do when one was naked in a hallway being yelled at by a topless woman. Thankfully, he was silent and not making excuses. However, that was mostly because when he opened his mouth Darcy started yelling again.

"DON'T YOU SAY A GOD DAMNED FUCKING WORD TO ME! DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM? I AM THE GIRL WHO WAS GONNA FUCK YOU TONIGHT! I _WAS_ THE GIRL WHO INVITED YOU TO MY BED! BASTARD!"

The man sat up on his knees, fingers fumbling with sorting out his clothes as he clumsily pulled on his socks. His glasses were slipping off his nose, and he was very pale. Not an outdoors person. He looked very nerdy, slim and slightly built. Why did she pick him? Because he was easy? "Darcy, be reasonable."

"YOU CALLED OUT TWO GIRLS NAME WHILE I WAS GOING DOWN ON YOU! NEITHER ONE OF THOSE NAMES WERE THE SAME GIRL! NEITHER ONE OF THOSE NAMES WERE _ME_!"

Stuck in the middle, Pietro looked back and forth between them, uncomfortable. He felt sorry for Darcy, and not really sorry for the dude. You don't call out the wrong name in bed. Twice, no less. That's not cool.

" _GET OUT_!" Darcy's hands flailed and she didn't care if she had no bra and if he was nude in a girl's dormitory. "I WILL SCREAM YOUR NAME AND THE GIRLS' NAME TO EVERYONE HERE! THOSE GIRLS ARE RIGHT DOWN THE FUCKING HALLWAY! YOU WANT ME TO GET THEM FOR YOU? NO? THEN _GET OUT_!"

The door slammed closed, and both men outside in the hallway heard the fit of crying burst out from behind the closed door. In the dorm room they heard Darcy sob and wail, "PIGHEADED WEASEL!" The music abruptly cut off, and it was silent but for the sound of Darcy's weeping.

Pietro looked down at the man, and shook his head. "Dude, get outta hear before some girl peeks out of her dorm and sees your penis. Put your pants on, man." The man awkwardly pulled his pants on and shrugged on his unbuttoned white shirt. Clutching his tie and underwear to himself, he hopped into his shoes and quickly left. He looked guilty and said nothing, just ducked his head down in shame.

After waiting until the man was gone and a proper moment for Darcy to have a good cry, Pietro approached the door and timidly knocked far softer than he ever had to before. Darcy answered the door, tear tracks of mascara running through her makeup and thankfully wearing a shirt if not a bra this time. "You heard that didn't you?"

Pietro looked down at the pizza box that she always found so fascinating, particularly so tonight. "Kinda hard not to with that set of lungs you got. But don't worry, though. He's a douche bag."

"Ha!" He looked up at her short bark of laughter, not sounded amused at all. "Henry, a douche bag. He never got the chance to clean out my vagina of cobwebs tonight." Suddenly she looked up at him, and her gaze trapped him like a fly caught in a spider's web. "You haven't heard me cum have you?"

He blushed. "No."

"Yeah, you wouldn't. I'm quiet. Unlike when I cry." She snatched the pizza box and scurried back to her room. As soon as her door slammed shut, Pietro waited for another sound cue. There was no music, but there was no crying either. Just the sound of silence. After registering that, he looked around. Usually Jane would pop up by now. She was so prompt about these kinda things.

Reluctant to bother Darcy while she's emotionally compromised, Pietro stepped into the dorm again. Well, he delivers pizza and knocks on doors as a job. Might as well take those few extra steps to the customer and just knock on her bedroom door. Gently he knocked, listening intently for any sound on the other side to give him some clue if he should just leave the pizza and go; after a moment Jane pulled open her door and gave him a puzzled look. "What are you doing at this door?" She stepped out of her bedroom, and pulled the door closed behind her. Pietro retreated back to his proper place in the hallway, and Jane followed after. "Where's Darcy's music? Why is it so quiet?" Suddenly her green eyes snapped to him and he was once again caught in a tractor-beam by a woman's gaze for the second time that night.

"Um," He motioned for her to step out into the hallway. She did so, and this time he shut the door. They walked a few paces away from the door. Then finally, Pietro deemed it safe to answer. "The guy she was with tonight called out two girl's name. Neither one of the name's were Darcy's."

"Hank did that? Why?" Jane looked confused and, like her friend, a little heartbroken. "I'm gonna kill him. I'm gonna kill Tony and I'm gonna kill him." Her eyes flared with inner green flames of rage and revenge burning inside her.

While it did scare him, Pietro had to admit he was a little turned out. What can he say; he admired her loyalty and fierceness. "Well, if it helps she sent him naked and packing pretty loudly before she broke down crying. How did you not hear that?"

"I was watching a video for my history class and I was really concentrating on it. I'm sorry, but if she's crying I got to go to her. Do you mind if I just pay you and take the pizza and go in? I have to."

"No, no. I totally understand that's fine. You know what? Don't tip me. It's fine. No keep it."

"Thanks, Pietro."

"Go to her, Jane."

She smiled at him and rushed back to her dorm. Pietro watched her go fondly if just a little sad. He was being selfish, Darcy needed her more. Just before he was about to turn away back down the hall to leave, Jane called out to him, "Oh, and last Friday was interesting! I hope you had a good time! Sorry about your sisters! Yeah, okay, I'm going in now." Before he could turn back around, she had slipped inside. Okay, so that answers that about last Friday. It was just as awkward for her as it was for him but it went okay. That's all that matters.


	10. Chapter 10

This Friday, Pietro planned something a little different. Both the girls were going through a rough time with Darcy's sex-life (romantic life?) interrupted and her bad break-up, so this time he brought them a complementary brownie fudge volcano on the house, free of charge completely. It didn't cost him anything either. He just took it. They'll make another. He's not worried.

He approached the dorm room cautiously once again. No Arctic Monkeys this Friday again. It was another radio song. Sia, if he remembered correctly. He kinda liked this song. But it sounded like someone else was singing it, too.

"Pretty girls, don't get hurt

Can't feel anything, when will I learn

I push it down, push it down."

Oh, God. That is definitely Darcy. She's singing it louder than Sia. He quickly knocked on the door, hoping that would deter her from singing. It did not. She answered the door, and looked over her box of pizza. All the while she sang. The only time she stopped was to take a sip of her wine bottle. "I got you this fudge brownie thing."

"For me? Really? I thought you liked Jane – wait hold up, dis is my jam. Dis is my jam right here, dis part!" Passionately she belted out the chorus, extremely loud and off-key and drunk off her ass. Even if she wasn't completely hammered, Pietro wouldn't doubt that she would still suck at singing. Hm, what would Jane sound like when she sings?

Just then Jane came out of her room, looking for the source of the caterwauling. When she saw Darcy, she sighed resigned. When she saw the wine bottle, she lost it. "Darcy, you're hammered. Stop it. We've already gotten four noise complaints this month."

"Jane! Sing wid me! Dance wid me!" Darcy grabbed Jane's hand and dragged her out in the middle of the room. She slurred the lyrics, encouraging Jane to do so as well. Her dance moves were more like tossing her head and waving her arms. Awkwardly Jane joined in at first, moving her hips and humming along. But when drunken Darcy pulled Pietro into the fray as well, Jane broke out into a smile and put more heart and soul into it.

Pietro put effort into his singing and dancing as well, all smiles, desperately wishing to not make a fool of himself in front of Jane. With one toss of his long silver locks dislodging his cap, though, he remembered that he has been an idiot in front of Jane more than once and she has not really cared a single time. If she has, she has forgiven him for it. So, what the Hell. Dance. Sing. Just do. Whatever.

The more he let himself go, the more she seemed to do the same. Soon it was like even Jane wasn't there. Pietro was gonna swing from the chandelier, damn it. Doing this without a care in the world felt good and released stressed. Everything else didn't matter. The Hell with everything else.

By the time the song started winding down, he noticed that Darcy had beat a hasty retreat to the couch with her lips wrapped around her wine bottle. Her pizza box sat unopened on her lap and her chocolate brownie cake thing sat uneaten on her pizza box. She was staring at both of them, her weird eyes seeing everything and then again nothing at all.

Looking over at Jane, he saw she looked much as he felt. It was if a burden had lifted from their shoulders and the air started sizzle and crackle again. That familiar tension from the Other Friday was coming back again, stronger than ever. What to do?

"Um…"

"Yes?"

"I … I … I got you and Darcy this dessert thing from work for free with your pizza this week." Pietro gave her the most pained smile you can imagine, one similar to a baby with gas and constipation and those two don't mix well. "I hope you like it."

"Oh, thank you." Though Jane smiled, he could tell she was just a little disappointed. But only a little. When she saw the cake, her eyes went wide and got that hungry look in them that only females had when it came to chocolate. It was adorable.

On the couch Darcy was snorting into the bottle. "Get the fuck outta here wid dat weak ass crap, boy." The drunk giggled and plucked at her pizza toppings, shoving them into her mouth.

"Okay, Darcy. You should probably go to bed. Your hangover is gonna be killer tomorrow." Jane sounded like a coddling mother as she tried to usher her grown, older, drunk friend up and to her bedroom. She looked just a little embarrassed. Personally, Pietro thought she looked cute with that bit of chocolate still clinging to her bottom lip.

Suddenly, Pietro was reminded of Darcy's earlier words. How did she know that he liked Jane? Was it that obvious? Of course, his sisters would know, but if Darcy knew then did that mean Jane knew also? Oh, God. Can you trust a drunk Darcy, though? Alcohol is like a truth serum, but at what point? Maybe this was her just messing with him again as she has done all other weeks. This was food for thought. "Yeah, I should go. I had fun. That was fun. You guys just enjoy your dessert. Take it easy." He left with a light heart, but a heavy head. There was so much to think about now, and over-analyze until he could ask Darcy next week. The suspense was already killing him.


End file.
